Tag Archives: Cincinnati Fringe Festival

The 2026 Cincinnati Fringe Festival
Presented by Rhinegeist
Celebrating Real Theatre Handmade by Real People:
May 29 – June 13

 Announcing This Year’s Extraordinary Festival Lineup

AI Slop be damned! The Cincinnati Fringe Festival returns for its 23rd year to bring an outrageous assortment of one-hour, live performances created and performed by real indie theatre artists in pop-up venues all over OTR. With more than 160 ticketed events, free Kids Fringe programming on weekend afternoons, a full Saturday of back-to-back ASL-interpreted shows, and a different, free, Late Night event every night at 10pm, the Cincy Fringe is Cincinnati’s Summer Theatre Party!

From May 29th to June 13th, the festival will unleash a whirlwind of wholly original theatre and experimental performance from more than 35 independent local, national, and international theatre artists. A 14-day celebration of theatre, art, music, dance, puppetry, and everything between, the Cincinnati Fringe Festival showcases everything that is glorious about being human – to be daring, honest and imperfect – all performed in intimate pop-up venues. Audiences can expect the unexpected as churches, storefronts, street corners, and so much more are transformed and imbued with live performance – all within the heart of OTR.

“The Cincy Fringe is really special,” says Katie Hartman, now in her fifth year as Producer of the Cincy Fringe. “It’s famous for being a festival where artists and patrons mix and mingle in the Know Theatre’s Underground Bar. Every night, after seeing a wild variety of shows from a wide array of artists, folks meet there and talk about all the art they just saw and the party just keeps going. It’s a joyful and generous place where people get to show up as their favorite self; we’re so excited to welcome folks into that experience.”

This year we march onward carrying the torch of creative community care and radical self-expression with:

•  25 Primary Lineup Productions
•  35+ Productions and over 190 performances (Including 4 Fringe in Development projects, 4 Limited Run Productions, and 2 Kids Fringe shows and 3 All-Ages Events) to entertain at 5 venues across Over-the-Rhine: Know Theatre, Gabriel’s Corner, 2 venues within First Lutheran Church, and the Miami University Center for Community Engagement in Over-the-Rhine.
• FREE Kids Fringe and All Ages Performances on Weekend Afternoons
• Cincy Fringe Deaf Day – a full Saturday of back-to-back ASL-interpreted performances and box office services
• FREE Late Night Events – every night- in the Know Theatre Underground Bar

TICKETING INFORMATION

•  50% of all Box Office revenue is given to the Producing Fringe Artists.
• Single tickets to the 2026 Cincy Fringe are $20
• The Full Schedule is live and single tickets are on sale at cincyfringe.com
• The All-Access Pass ($330) is good for one entry into all Primary Lineup, Limited Runs, Fringe in Development and Kids Fringe performances.
•  Our 5-ticket Flex Pass ($90) can be used in any combination of shows and is transferable among individuals.
• Volunteers see shows for free!

This year’s Primary Lineup totals 25 productions and features new work from 13 local creators, 10 productions from across the U.S., and 2 international artists from Canada and Australia. With 21 world premieres, 13 regional premieres, and 10 producing companies that have never-been-seen in Cincinnati, adventurous audiences are guaranteed an experience of a brave and unabashed creative community that can’t be had anywhere else.

The 2026 Cincy Fringe Festival Primary Lineup
The heart of the Cincy Fringe: 25 productions of NEW indie theatre.

1 Gay Wedding and Absolutely No Funerals: Reception to Follow
Ben & Justin Present
Cincinnati & Columbus, OH
’Til death do us party!

A Hollywood Horror Story
Ingrid Garner
Los Angeles, CA
The wild true story behind TV’s first horror host, Vampira.

Antonym
Solasta Theatre Lab
Cincinnati, OH
Why did Kafka cross the road? Because Bukowski pushed him.

Appalachian Songcatcher
Hannah Sage From
Atlanta, GA
Banjo tunes, folk songs, and a queer Appalachian coming-of-age.

BOMB! An FBI Memoir
Silver Linings Productions
Cincinnati, OH
Songs of the unsung heroes. An explosive new musical.

Champagne Dreams
3 Sticks
Auburn, AL
Eloise longs to escape her boring life for… Champagne Dreams.

Colonial Circus: History, Clown Style
Two2Mango
Toronto, ON, Canada
Two brown clowns pretending to be British colonizers journey through the history of colonialism.

Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue presents The Saints
Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue
Baltimore, MD
A satirical take on Catholic Saints with rock and roll, puppetry and magic.

Early Bird
Jack Fogle and the River Rat Puppet Collective
Cincinnati, OH
A grandson hiding his queerness visits his Appalachian grandparents.

ERYS SICHTHON
Lina Keys
Cincinnati, OH
After messing with Demeter’s forest, Erys faces the cursed consequences.

FRONTIER So Far
Justin Dodd and george mcconnell
New York, NY and Bryan, TX
An experimental comedy that imagines how to do masculinity better.

Jon Bennett: This Will Only Ever Happen Once
2HOOTS PRODUCTIONS
Adelaide, Australia
A hilarious show by a world-renowned Aussie about life’s unrepeatable moments.

Locusta’s School For Assassins
Samantha Joy Weil
Covington, KY
Two women bond over plants, poisons, and murdering privileged men.

Memento Holly
Zoë Peterson
Cincinnati, OH
A journey to spread a friend’s ashes reignites past relationships.

Modern Butchood
Molly Gloeckner
Los Angeles, CA
A dark comic lesbian quarter life crisis.

Papa
Madeleine Rowe
Minneapolis, MN
Frankenstein’s Monster isn’t just a creation. He’s somebody’s son.

Private Equity: The Musical!
Doin’ Too Much Productions
Cincinnati, OH
If the Phantom Tollbooth happened in a hypergentrified apartment complex.

Quiet Coyotes
Green Fuse Productions
Southgate, KY
A wildfire creates opportunities for campers to discover nature’s resilience.

RAT MAN HAPPY PLACE
Bruce Ryan Costella
Orlando, FL
A guided comedy tour through the happiest ruins on Earth.

Tapped In
Pones
NKY / Cincinnati, OH
Uncovering cultural identity through tap’s layered lineage and creative collaboration.

The Boy from Bantay
Jeremy Rafal
New York, NY
Cartoons. Classical Music. A Coming-of-Age Story.

Transcendent
Queen City Queers
Cincinnati, OH
A macabre exploration on living in your freaky, felty, flesh.

Unreconciled
Unreconciled Project
Easthampton, MA
A humorous, heartbreaking story of courage, family, and reclaiming your voice.
*With a special talkback on Sunday, May 31, following the show

What Art Is and What Art Is Good Art
Ben Dudley
Cincinnati, OH
Two self-proclaimed experts offer the definitive, final statement on art.

White Whale
Autumn Kaleidoscope & Mette Puppets
Cincinnati, OH
Discover the forgotten history of Cincinnati’s living white whales!

2026 Cincy Fringe Festival Limited Runs
Unique productions with parameters outside of the usual lineup

Bloody Fairytales: Paul Strickland
Paul Strickland Presents
Covington, KY
Dark fairytales for adults where laughter and dread share space.

Mad Women’s Ball
InBocca Performance
Cincinnati, OH
The Mad Women’s Ball: Entrance Upon Invitation, Exit Upon Transformation.

O’Fringe Is The New Black
Wit’s End Productions
Newport, KY
A sketch comedy show. Break out – into laughter!

trueFRINGE 2026
True Theatre
Cincinnati, OH
Fringe artists sharing true, personal, behind-the-scenes stories!

2026 Cincy KIDS Fringe
Free ticketed events made possible by the Andrew Jergens Foundation.

Linton PB&J Presents: Heroic Harmonies!
Linton Chamber Music PB&J Sessions
Cincinnati, OH
Interactive superhero training for young kids with live music!

Pato y Muerte
Dos-Corazones Productions
Cincinnati, OH
A playful, bilingual dance-theater performance that celebrates life, death and friendship.

All Ages Free Events
Know Theatre: 1120 Jackson Street

Heroes Rise: Tournament of Styles
High-energy monthly dance showdowns building legends, elevating talent and crowning champions.
SUN, 5/31, 5:30pm-9:30pm

Band In A Bus: BUCKET BRIGADE
Groove. Dance. And Drum at our family-friendly Bucket Brigade!
SUN, 6/7, 12:30pm-1:15pm

CAM CRUISER
Drop by and make finger and mini puppets with the Cincinnati Art Museum’s mobile art-making van!
SUN, 6/7, 1:15pm-3:15pm

2026 Cincy Fringe in Development
Works-in-progress developed during the Festival itself, culminating in a one-night only public performance.

Good… Girl?
Lucía Duque
Cincinnati, OH
Four different characters, one bottom – ahem! One body.

Homesick
Iliana Soria
Cincinnati, OH
Need to run from your problems? Go to the moon!

Minotaur in Flight
Carmen Foster & Lucia Salazar-Davidson
Cincinnati, OH
A queer retelling of the story of Icarus.

Talk on… Stage?
Megan Flynn and Teresa VanDenend Sorge
Cincinnati, OH
Two embodied monologues by dancers terrified to talk on stage.

The 2026 Cincy Fringe Late Night Series
At 10pm every night of the festival we throw a different, free, themed event in the Know Theatre Underground Cabaret & Bar!

Friday, May 29: 60 Second Previews
Every producer gets exactly 60 seconds on the Cabaret stage to pitch their show!
Sponsored by Buddy Goose and Mary Rita Dominic 

Saturday, May 30: Fringe-A-Oke!
This isn’t your ordinary Karaoke – it’s Fringe-A-Oke!
Sponsored by Rope Burn, a new novel by Kirk Sheppard, available June 16 

Sunday, May 31: Swap Night
Bring your gently-loved ANYTHING to swap!
Presented by the League of Cincinnati Theatres

Tuesday, June 2: Alternate Transportation Night
Ever wanted to ride a segway? Or an electric bike? Now is your chance:)
Presented by The Garage OTR

Wednesday, June 3: Fringe Biergarten
Taste samples of new beers from Rhinegeist, Cincinnati’s Hometown Brewery.
Sponsored by Rhinegeist

Thursday, June 4: The Kinda Weird Puppet Slam
An evening of bawdy short-form puppetry acts hosted by Daniela Nenova & Sean Mette
Sponsored by The Puppet Slam Network

Friday, June 5: Dance Party
Dance the night away on the Know’s MainStage

Saturday, June 6: The Gay Spelling Bee
A game show with gay contestants and gay words – from Ben & Justin Presents!
Sponsored by Karen “Auntie Fringe” Brinkman

Sunday, June 7: Fringe DnD & Game Night
Play DnD with your new 20-sided ride-or-die, DM Travis McElroy on the Know MainStage or enjoy board games with friends in the Underground.
In Partnership with Woodburn Games

Tuesday, June 9: Fringe Olympics
Team up and test your strength and wits in Feats of Fringe!
Enjoy Artist-Priced Drinks!

Wednesday, June 10: Improv Jam
Say “yes and” to short and long-form improv games.
Sponsored by OTR Improv

Thursday, June 11: The Sideshow Cabaret
Kick off PRIDE with an evening of drag hosted by the Queen City’s Lady Phaedra!

Friday, June 12: The Flashlight Cabaret
An evening of unforgettable entertainment lit entirely by audience flashlights.
Sponsored by Suzana & Randy Waterhous

Saturday, June 13: Pick of the Fringe Awards
Party with us as we celebrate the Fringe and award the Picks of the Fringe!
Sponsored by Mark Bowen

Know Theatre of Cincinnati exists to build belonging through bold theatre.

The 23rd Annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival is presented by Rhinegeist.

The Cincy Fringe is made possible by a generous partnership with our neighbors First Lutheran Church, Gabriel’s Corner at Salem United Church of Christ, and the Miami University Center for Community Engagement in Over-the-Rhine.

The Cincy Fringe is supported by the Morse and Betty Johnson Family Foundation, Joe Mock and the real pro team at Cutler Real Estate (and Norah, too!), Jeffrey Hungerford, Patrick Cusick, and the Schubert Foundation.

Kids Fringe is made possible by a generous donation from the Andrew Jergens Foundation.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Know Theatre with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

Know Theatre is also supported by the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which provides a simple, powerful, and highly personal approach to giving.

Know Theatre is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the annual ArtsWave Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding.

The Know Theatre is supported by the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation, Judge Mark P. Painter (retired) and Joshua Wallace.

Know Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group.

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An encore performance of a show critics called “tightly executed, deeply personal, and often
wickedly funny”

[Cincinnati, OH] Back by popular demand, after a sold out run at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival, Z IS FOR ZEBRA is returning to the Know Theatre of Cincinnati’s stage for a limited run in early October. Hailed as “a tightly executed, deeply personal, and often wickedly funny piece” (Kirk Sheppard) Z IS FOR ZEBRA, written by Katie Scarlett, explores the relationship between chronic illness and grief told through the eyes of a professor giving a lecture on Kubler-Ross’s “stages of grief.” But what happens when the professor’s overconfident (and unwanted) TA takes her on a whirlwind journey through her own hardships with chronic illness? Together, they navigate the path to acceptance (no matter how fleeting) through a series of successes and struggles with humor, heart, and a lot of pill bottles.

The show will run from October 2nd- 5th at The Know Theatre on 1120 Jackson Street. The cast includes: Ben Dudley, Kate Stark, and Katie Scarlett. Production team includes: Liz Carman (director), ErinMarie Suscheck (stage manager), and designers Becca Schall, Jared Earland, and Rupert Spraul.

Scarlett, who is disabled herself, strongly believes in art as a form of advocacy. “For a lot of chronically ill people self-advocacy starts young in medical settings. You must learn how to stand up for yourself because often you’re not believed by medical professionals or you receive a lot of pushback,” Scarlett says. “This show for me was a way of broadening my advocacy past myself. My story isn’t unique. I can name multiple people in the disabled and chronic illness communities who have shared similar experiences. Most people don’t know how hard it is to navigate a complex healthcare system when the chronic part of being ill never ends. It’s exhausting to live in a body that defies you every step of the way and the medical system that is meant to help shouldn’t be part of that exhaustion.” This message is important as, according to the CDC, more than 1 in 4 adults in the United States are disabled. Most people have someone in their life that has struggled with their health, this story provides more context to relate on a deeper level.

It was important to Scarlett to build a team of disabled artists. She believes disabled stories need to be told, and by disabled artists whenever possible. “I was astounded by the amount of people who came up to me afterwards and told me they felt like they were watching their story, or a part of their story, unfold onstage,” Scarlett says. “If it wasn’t their personal story, it was the story of a loved one or a friend. I was honored that so many people suggested the show as a must watch for medical professionals. I think it points to the unfortunate shared experience of navigating the medical world as a patient who doesn’t fit into traditional boxes. I’m so excited so many people wanted to come back and experience the show again.”

AT A GLANCE
What: Z IS FOR ZEBRA, by Katie Scarlett
When: October 2 – 4, 7:30 PM; October 5, 2 PM.
Where: Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson St, Over-the-Rhine
Tickets: From $20. Available at knowtheatre.com/octknowber-2025 or by phone at 513.300.5669.

For tickets and more information please check out the Know Theatre’s octKNOWber lineup:
www.knowtheatre.com/octknowber-2025